Bonding
by Timber Hinkley
Summary: Lillian feels guilty for never being a real mom to Lena, so gradually they try and bond. But sometimes things get stressful for the slightly inexperienced mother.
1. Beginning of a relationship

~ I do not own Supergirl or any of the characters ~

Lena laid her head on her desk as another rush of pain went through her feverish body. She shivered and wrapped herself tightly in her jacket. Lena tried to deny it, but she secretly knew she had the flu. She looked up suddenly when she heard footsteps enter her office. She was shocked to see her mother, Lillian, looking at her with surprising softness in her eyes. "You don't look so good, dear. " Lillian said softly. Lena moaned and laid her head back down. "I'm sick." she mumbled. The youngest Luthor was shocked when she felt her mother's hand on her back, rubbing it gently. "What hurts?" Lillian asked. "Everything. My whole body just aches." was Lena's tearful reply. Lillian continued massaging her daughter's back as she said "You should be in bed. Not working. " Lena groaned, having heard this lecture 1,000 times from different people. Lillian knew that her daughter wouldn't got to bed without a fight, so she did what she always had to do. "Turn towards me." she said. Lena did as she was told, but she was unsure why she had been asked to do so. She soon found out when she felt herself being picked up like a child. Normally she would've protested to this, but her body was too tired to fight, so she just laid her head on her mother's shoulder. Lillian smirked to herself as her daughter's grip tightened; it had always been a rare thing for Lena to let herself be held and she had kinda missed snuggling her daughter. Although now she was much heavier than last time, so Lillian wasn't able to bask in the moment for as long as she would've liked. She laid Lena down on the couch and covered her with a blanket. She then sat beside her and gently stroked her warm forehead until she fell asleep, which didn't take long. As soon as she was confident she could stand up without waking the sick girl, she left to get some water, medicine, and a thermometer. After what felt like forever she finally located the thermometer, it was the kind that you simply place on your forehead so she decided to go ahead and check Lena's temperature while she was still sleeping. She became worried when she saw what it read. "103.6"

Lillian sighed as she knew she'd have to wake Lena up for some medicine; her fever was simply too high to wait. She rubbed Lena's arm gently while calling to her. The CEO groggily opened her eyes and whined, threatening to cry. "Shh, it's ok. " Lillian soothed when she saw tears in her daughter's eyes. "You need to take some medicine, dear. Your fever is way too high. " Lena nodded and sat up, taking the pills quickly then laying back down. Lillian smiled proudly at Lena, as the last time she had given her medicine it was like a civil war to get her to take it. "That was very good, sweetie. You've definitely grown up..." the older woman's voice slightly broke as the sentence ended. She absolutely hated herself for never being there for Lena, she had overcome and been through so much, all without a mother. Lena was already half asleep, so Lillian kissed her forehead and stood up to get her phone. She sat on the other end of the couch, scrolling through her phone while she waited for Lena to wake up. Things were going well so far, but Lillian was worried that wouldn't last long. She knew the flu often involved some stomach problems, and vomiting had always been her weakness, even with Lex. The task of comforting the children when that happened usually fell on Lionel, but obviously this time she had no choice. All she could do was pray that Lena's stomach stayed settled. 


	2. facing fears

Lillian was broken from her thoughts by Lena moaning. She looked up to see her daughter sit up quickly, clutching her stomach. "What, um... what's wrong?" Lillian asked hesitantly, secretly dreading the answer. "My stomach is killing me..." Lena replied, holding back tears. Lillian awkwardly rubbed her daughter's back, in a desperate attempt to calm her down before she started crying and made herself sicker. "I think I'm gonna throw up, mother." Lillian internally cringed at that. She nodded and sprinted to grab a trashcan. She held it in front of her daughter, silently praying nothing would happen. Her heart felt like it could beat out of her chest; her phobia of vomiting was being reactivated and it took everything in her not to hide in a corner. Lena started coughing and Lillian quickly brushed her hair out of her face. "Just relax sweetheart, you'll be ok." she soothed. Lillian was visibly shaking now. "Are you ok?" Lena asked weakly. "Yes dear, I'm fine." she replied. Lena knew she was lying, but didn't have time to argue as she started uncontrollably retching. Lillian braced herself while consoling her daughter. Seconds later Lena threw up; Lillian wanted desperately to look away but she knew she needed to comfort Lena, she knew they were both equally scared as Lena was also shaking badly. When she finished, Lillian cleaned out the trashcan then returned to her daughter.

"Are you alright?" she asked. At that moment her second most dreaded moment became reality; Lena started crying, and she was crying hard. Loud, gasping sobs wracked the younger woman's body. Lillian hadn't heard one of her children cry so intensely since they were very young. She was no expert in comforting, so she did the first thing that came to mind, she picked her up. The last time she'd comforted anyone was when Lena was a young child so that was the only way she knew to do it. She was definitely louder now, surprisingly enough. She rocked her and shushed her until she finally calmed down. Lillian was a bit proud of herself for calming her down after years of having no practice. Lena fell asleep immediately after she stopped crying so her mother laid her back on the couch. The older woman sighed in relief and returned to her spot with her phone. Caring for anyone was hard work, especially Lena, who was much more of a crier than she'd ever admit, but exhaustion never felt so good to Lillian. 


	3. The dream

~ 2 AM, Lena's apartment ~

Lillian was sound asleep despite Lena wallering her to death in bed, she had always been a restless sleeper. And a clingy one for that matter, especially because she was recently sick with the flu, she still wasn't feeling her best and was craving affection. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a small whimper. Lillian woke quickly to check on her daughter. Lena was squirming and crying in her sleep; she was having a nightmare. Lillian rubbed her daughter's back in attempt to calm her down, but it didn't work. Lena woke up abruptly and immediately burst into tears. Lillian sighed deeply; crying was not her strong point. She helped her tearful daughter onto her lap and hugged her. Lena sobbed intensely into her mother's chest. "Calm down, dear. It was just a dream. " Lillian said, attempting to sound comforting. Much to her bad luck, it actually came out more like she was annoyed. Lena pulled away and wailed into the pillow. Lillian wanted to punch herself; she so far wasn't doing a very good job of this "mom thing ". "I'm sorry sweetie, I didn't mean to sound annoyed. Really, I'm not mad. I promise." she said, stroking Lena's hair. The brunette took a sharp breath and crawled back into her mother's arms. "It's ok... I know you're just trying to help." The older woman pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and asked "What did you dream about that scared you so bad?" Lena hesitated to answer. "You can tell me, it's ok. "

Lena took a deep breath and said "Supergirl. I was dreaming about Supergirl. "

Lillian sighed. "Was she hurting you, dear?"

Lena laughed nervously. "N-no... she wasn't hurting me. " Lillian was confused .

"What was so awful about the dream then?"

"I dreamt she died, ok?"

"And that's upsetting, how?"

Lena scoffed.

"I like her, mother. She's sweet and helpful and we've talked alot. I know you hate that but you don't have to like her if you don't want to. She's just saved my life so many times, I think I'd be lost without her."

Lillian fought the urge to laugh as she said "Ok dear, whatever you say."

Lena knew her mother didn't approve of what she'd just expressed, but she wasn't trying to kill her for it this time at least.

~ A few hours later ~

Lillian could not get Lena's words out of her mind. "She's just saved my life so many times, I think I'd be lost without her."

Maybe Supergirl wasn't as bad as she thought. 


	4. she does care

This one is what might've happened if Lillian would've been there for Lena after she found out that Kara is Supergirl

* * *

Lillian was sitting in the bedroom, looking over some documents when she heard the apparent door shut loudly, followed by the sound of Lena's crying. Lillian immediately pushed her laptop aside and ran to check on her daughter.

"What is it, dear?!" she asked as she pulled the young woman into a hug. Lena clung tightly to her mother and cried into her shoulder. "Lena, what happened?" she asked again. Lena made a desperate attempt to take a deep breath, and eventually choked out

"K-Kara... she... she's..." Lillian was bracing herself for the worst, but she didn't expect what her daughter said next.

"She's Supergirl!"

Lillian froze. "Hold up, are you telling me that Kara Danvers is Supergirl?!" she asked, trying to comprehend the situation. Lena nodded and proceeded to climb her mother like a tree. Lillian helped her daughter up and held her close. She carried her to bed and layed her down before laying down beside her. Lena immediately buried her face in Lillian's chest, still crying hysterically. The oldest Luthor rubbed her daughter's back as she felt her own eyes fill with tears. She had never heard someone sound so broken and hurt. She started to cry quietly along with her daughter; the sound of Lena's broken heart flooding out through bucketfuls of tears and wails was tearing her apart. She hugged her tightly as her own cries grew louder. Lena heard her mother's bawling even over her own, it was reassuring to her that her mother cared enough to actually cry for her. Lillian never cried, and that is a literal term. Lena nuzzled her and continued to break down. For the next few hours, the mother/daughter duo held each other and cried.


	5. let me return the favor

Lillian groaned as her stomach grumbled. She dreaded the moment Lena returned home, the last thing she wanted was to be sick with people around. Her stomach had done nothing but toss and turn all day long and she had a low grade fever. She cringed internally as Lena entered the apartment.

"Hello , mother." Lena said, placing her bag on the table.

Lillian opened her mouth to reply, but as her stomach cramped, all she could muster was a groan.

Lena turned around having heard her mother's expression of discomfort.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

Lillian nodded half-heartedly and closed her eyes against the intense wave of nausea.

Lena trotted over to her mother and felt her forehead before she could protest.

"You're pretty warm. are you feeling sick?" Lena asked.

Lillian shook her head and quickly stood up, using the couch to support most of her weight.

"No... I feel... I feel fi... " the eldest Luthor couldn't finish her sentence as she had to sprint for the bathroom. Lena followed her quickly and pulled her hair out of her face as she bent over the toilet. Lena slipped her hand under her mother's blouse and rubbed her back; she was alarmed at how feverishly warm Lillian's skin was. Lena had never seen her mother look so vulnerable. Tears streamed down her face from the shear force that she was throwing up.

Lena was shocked to hear exhausted sobs begin to replace the gagging sounds.

Lena began shushing and whispering comforting words to her very sick mother. Lillian finally stood up and flushed the toilet. Immediately moving to the sink to wash her face.

"Are you ok, Mother?" Lena asked.

Lillian nodded and rinsed her mouth with some mouthwash.

Lena could see how miserable her mother was, and she felt terrible.

She rubbed her back gently as she stood, making sure she was done throwing up before she put too much distance between herself and the bathroom.

"Can I check your temperature?" Lena asked softly.

Lillian, being too tired to argue nodded, and Lena left to get the thermometer.

When she returned, she placed the device on her mother's forehead, and Lillian let her. She had never had anyone care for her before and she wasn't quite sure how to respond, but she did kind of like it. Especially because she felt so bad.

Lena pulled the thermometer back when it beeped, reading aloud what it said.

"102.6. That's pretty high, you should probably take some medicine. " Lillian shook her head.

"No... I just need to rest for a while, I'll be..."

the peace abruptly ended as Lillian lunged for the toilet again. Lena bent down beside her, rubbing her back as she had earlier. The older woman was unable to throw up anything except acid, making the sickness all the more painful. Lena moved her hand to her mother's stomach, rubbing gently just as Lillian had done for her last time she was sick. When it was finally over, Lillian leaned back against the bathtub and breathed heavily. Lena kept her hand on her mother's stomach, seeing that it seemed to help some.

"Let's get you to bed." Lena said as she helped Lillian stand up.

Lena helped her sick mother lie down and covered her up before rubbing her back.

"You probably caught this from me, sorry about that, by the way." Lena said sympathetically.

Lillian smiled weakly and said

"I don't blame you, dear. But you don't have to do all of this, I'll be fine, really. "

Lena smiled and said "Hey, you took care of me. Let me return the favor."

Lillian smiled as she closed her eyes against a stomach cramp. She subconsciously clutched her stomach and curled further into herself.

Lena felt so guilty knowing that she had probably given her mother this nasty virus.

"Turn over onto your back." Lena said gently.

Lillian nodded and did what Lena said. She was slightly surprised to feel Lena lift up her shirt and start gently massaging her stomach. She'd never admit it, but at the moment, it felt amazing.

"Better?" Lena asked, seeing Lillian relax a bit. She nodded and said "Yes... thank you." Lena smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

And with that, Lillian fell into the sweet relief of sleep.


End file.
